Because Torchwood Has Ianto Jones
by Darkfangz13
Summary: There was never any doubt, in anyone's mind, that Jack would run to The Doctor in a moment's notice. Tosh, Gwen, and Owen contemplate the things that would lure Jack back.


Because Torchwood Has Ianto Jones

For Torchwood, Tosh thinks grimly, the very thought of The Doctor is a scare. Not because the alien is, technically, Torchwood's number one enemy. (God knows Jack wouldn't stand for that) But because there's always the forboding thought of Jack leaving again. And that's a damn frightning thought, no matter what everybody else says.

So when The Doctor really does show up, it's a real nightmare.

"So, what is it this time?" Owen demands rudely, leaning his hip comfortably against the autopsy table. "Is it another global crisis, or is he just here for Jack?" Tosh just catches the slight tremor underlining Owen's voice, although he tries to hide it.

Gwen just rolls her eyes strainedly and Ianto is silently slipping back into the safety of the archives, strictly his territory. And suddenly Tosh is glad that The Doctor and Jack had stepped outside for a private talk not minutes before. Owen looks at Tosh. "Any Rift activity, Tosh?"

She purses her lips and contemplates lying. But she knows it's useless. She shakes her head silently. Owen just 'ah's in that utterly apathic way of his. "Just here for Jack, then?" And he retreats into his previously ignored duty of poking around inside alien guts. Tosh could see Gwen's eyes widen a fraction. Okay, so maybe the world is ending, because Owen is meticulously examining and cataloguing smelly, gooey substances without so much as a complaint.

"But," Gwen prompts slowly, unsurely. "he can't just leave... _again!_"

Owen wipes his mouth with his sleeve and sends her an annoyed look. "It's Jack-bloody-Harkness! He comes and goes when he pleases!"

"Yes, he's Jack-bloody-Harkness! He has responsibilities! He has Torchwood!" Gwen bites her lip. "He has us, doesn't he?"

"Like that's stopped him the first time." Owen sneers and goes back to stabbing at what lookes like alien intestines.

The air is so thick that you could part it with your hands. Tosh decides that it's a good idea to lighten the mood. "Well," she squeaks awkwardly, Gwen and Owen start at her voice, like they forgot she was there. "we have coffee, don't we? Jack said the coffee's gone all weird in the future." At least her effort gains her a small smile off Gwen, Owen just looks aghast.

"No proper coffee? What do they function on, then!" Tosh giggles a little.

"And, like Gwen said, Jack has us. He has Torchwood." she chimes in.

"More importantly, he has Ianto." Gwen smiles.

"Ianto's coffee," Owen sends an odd look at Gwen. "first and foremost."

"The Doctor doesn't allow him to flirt." Tosh points out intelligently. "Wouldn't quite be Jack without the innuendos."

"Won't let him run around with a gun." Gwen adds.

"Also unlike Jack." Owen agrees, finally coming out of the autopsy bay, scrubbing his hands.

That's just the moment Jack chooses to staunter back into the Hub, thankfully alone. "What's not like me?" he asked, only hearing the last part of the arguement.

"Nothing." Gwen tells him, a little too quickly. Owen immediately clamps his jaws together and stalks off back into the autopsy bay. Tosh herself is staring studiously at her screen. Yeah, like that wasn't suspicious at all.

"Oookay," Jack drags his vowels out suspiciously. "what's going on?" He eyes his team mates carefully. A long, uncomfortable silence follows.

Then, everybody hears as Owen blows out a great breath and stomps back into the bullpen. "Oh, nothing, Jack." he says heatedly, sarcasm dripping from his every word. "Just contemplating the thousand ways The Doctor chips away at your character." Tosh groans and Gwen buries her face in her hands.

Jack blinks in bewilderment, and slight anger. "Sorry, what was that?" he asks in a near challenge.

And then Ianto, just coming back from the archives, and literally stumbles in on their conversation. His gaze jumps around the room like a deer caught in headlights when he finds every eye turned on him and he puts aside the reports his nose was buried in five seconds previous. "Did I miss something?" he asks. Poor, sweet, innocent Ianto.

And Jack looks at their archivist with such a sad look that every hope of Jack staying launches itself violently out of the nearest window. And, in these situations, Ianto would usually pop a random question to break the ice...

If only this was a normal situation.

But Ianto just meets Jack's gaze calmly without so much as a blink. "Oh," he murmurs, seeing the look. "I suppose I should only make coffee for four, then?" And he says it in such a heartbreakingly, resigned way that Tosh has the urge to cry for him.

Jack opens his mouth. Whether it's a protest, or a reassurance that he'd be back, that he's hoping to convey, he never gets around to it. The reason would be because Ianto is fishing around in his suit pocket and holds the object to his eye level so Jack could see it clearly.

It's his trusty old stopwatch.

Ianto click-starts it and gives a helpless, one-shouldered shrug. He even has the courage to send Jack a small, understanding smile.

Jack's look is filled with the usual amazement and adoration that only comes with Ianto and he pecks the archivist gently on the lips, whispering a confident 'Count the seconds.' And he's gone.

There was never any doubt, in anyone's mind, that Jack would run to The Doctor, away from Torchwood, on a moment's notice. But, at least they could rest assured he'd be back.

Ianto lets out a shaky breath when Jack disappears from the Hub and smiles bravely. "Coffee?"

Because Torchwood has Ianto Jones.

The End


End file.
